Keanu Reeves at 56: the star of John Wick, The Matrix, Point Break and Speed talks about his love of motorcycles, keeping fit – and his fear of death
Once dubbed the sexiest man alive, Keanu Reeves is turning 56 on September 2 – here, in his own words, he looks back over his career
Keanu Reeves was once dubbed the sexiest man alive by People magazine (retroactively for the year 1994, some 21 years after the event, if you’re interested). On the eve of his 56th birthday, on September 2, the star of Point Break, Speed and The Matrix films shares how he has changed, his love of motorbikes and his secret to staying fit
Acting has always given me a structure and purpose in life and I’ve never found anything else to invest myself in
Surf movie Point Break remains one of the milestones of his life
“I loved that film and how Kathryn Bigelow had this incredibly cool vision of the kind of world she wanted to create. There was this terrific pulp aspect to the story, about an FBI guy who learns to surf to catch the bad guys. That film portrayed surfing with so much beauty and the passion for riding waves.
“I’ve had so many people come up to me over the years who tell me how that film changed their lives and how they took up surfing or skydiving because of it. It reminds me of how much passion I have for motorcycles. I know exactly how they feel.”
Did he mention he loves motorcycles?
“Bikes have been part of my life ever since I met this girl in Munich who was riding this incredible Kawasaki Enduro and I asked her if she could teach me to ride. Every break between shooting on the set I would take the bike out for a ride and I’ve loved the sense of speed and freedom it gives you.
“I haven’t stopped riding since and the first thing I did after returning to Los Angeles was to go out and buy a Norton Interceptor. I still have it in my garage.”
The acting job helps ground him